Apparatus for automatically producing a deodorant block having a handle



Dec. 17, 1968 G. A. SARANDOS 3,416,208

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING A DEODORANT A BLOCK HAVING A HANDLE Filed March 10, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY Hayden 3; Fame ATTORNEYS Dec. 17, 1968 e. A. SARANDOS 3,416,208

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING A DEODORANT BLOCK HAVING A HANDLE Filed March 10, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Geo/ 6 14. Ja/d/m a:

INVENTOR.

BY Magda &

A 3,416,208 NG A DEODORANT 1963 e. A. SARANDOS APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCI BLOCK HAVING A HANDLE Filed March 10, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet :5

Dec. 1968 A. SARANDOS 3,41

APPARATUS FOR OMATICALLY PRODUCING A DEODORANT BLOCK HAVING A HANDLE Filed March 10, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Magda 31ml /1 TTORNE-YS Geo/ye A. Jere/70%;

Dec. 17, 1968 e. A. SARANDOS 3,416,208 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING A DEODORANT BLOCK HAVING A HANDLE Filed March 10, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 fi Za Geo/ye '4. Jar'aflc/oJ INVENTOR.

BY Magda (9 HM A TTORNE YS 3,416,208 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING A DEODORANT BLOCK HAVING A HANDLE George A. Sarandos, 6906 Ashcraft, Houston, Tex. 77036 Filed Mar. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 622,351 7 Claims. (Cl. 29-33) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A table which rotates to various manufacturing stages is provided with multiple, equally spaced hollow cylindrical receptacles with the upper ends of the receptacles opening flush against the top of the table. A movable piston seated at the bottom of each of the recptacles is provided with a rod connected to the piston and projecting from the bottom of the receptacles. An axial slot along the outer wall of each of the receptacles opens to the outer circumference of the table. A wire insertion mechanism is provided for inserting the crimped leading end of a wire into the slot in the receptacle. The wire insertion mechanism has a first fixed wire lock with a spring loaded inclined wedging member which permits movement of the wire in the direction of the table and a second movable wire lock which moves back and forth over the wire so that it feeds the wire from the supply roll to the table when it moves in the direction of the table and slips along the wire without moving it when it moves away from the table. A gravity feed hopper containing loose crystals of a chemical deodorant is positioned above the table. The hopper has a circular opening at its lower end which rides against the upper surface of the table. When the opening in the hopper registers with the top of one of the cylindrical receptacles,

crystals from the hopper are loaded into the receptacle. A tool between the wire insertion mechanism and the rotating table crimps and cuts the wire. The tool has a fixed die face co-operating with a movable die face whereby the wire between the die faces is cut when the faces meet and a crimp is impressed on the supply roll end of the severed wire. A plunger mounted over the table compresses the loose crystals in the receptacle. When a receptacle is under the plunger, the wire insertion a paratus inserts the crimped Wire through the slot in the receptacle and into the loose crystals contained therein. The plunger then compresses the crystals about the crimped wire to form a solid block. The table rotates to a final station whereupon the piston rod at the bottom of the cylinder is pushed upwardly to eject the completed block.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention In the manufacture of deodorant blocks, it is common to produce such blocks by pouring a measured amount of some solid chemical, such as paradichlorobenzene,

usually in crystalline form, into the cavity of a forming die and compressing these loose crystals into a solid United States Patent F 3,416,208 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 cohesive block. This block is generally employed as a deodorant aid in conjunction with urinals and other bathroom fixtures. When the block is exposed to the air or as liquids wash over the deodorant block, its chemical composition is altered and a fragrant deodorizing scent is released.

It is necessary to disposed the deodorant block in the bathroom fixture in such a way as to prevent it from being flushed into the sewer line or from being rapidly decomposed by constant washing over or submersion in the water contained within the fixture.

To this end, wire handles are inserted into the blocks produced by the apparatus of the present invention. These wire handles may be bent by hand to form a hook with which the block may be suspended from the upper rim of the bathroom fixture in any desired position.

Description of the prior art While some prior art machinery has heretofore been available for automatically forming a deodorant block, such machinery has not been capable of automatically attaching the wire handle.

Summary of the invention An apparatus for automatically manufacturing a product and providing a wire handle for the product. The wire handle has an automatically imposed crimp or hook which is held within the body of the product so that the handle will not pull out of the body and so that the handle will continue to hold the body as the body decomposes.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide improved means for automatically manufacturing a deodorant block having an integrally formed handle.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide means for automatically inserting a wire handle into a loose mass of chemical crystals and thereafter compressing said crystals about the wire handle.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for automatically feeding a predetermined length of wire from a supply roll into the cavity of a forming die and severing said predetermined length of wire from its supply source while simultaneously imposing a crimp or a bend in the supply roll end of the wire.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a handle for a deodorant block which will not disengage itself from the block by forming a small crimp or hook on the end of a wire handle contained within the body of the deodorant block to prevent the handle from pulling out of the deodorant block and to increase the amount of wire contained within the block.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a single means for simultaneously crimping and cutting a wire handle before it is inserted into the cavity of a forming die.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically crimping or bending the leading end of a length of Wire and inserting the crimped end into the cavity of a die automatically loaded with loose crystals of a chemical deodorant, severing the wire from its supply source at a predetermined distance from the crimp or bend, compressing the loosely associated crystals into a solid cohesive block which envelops the crimp or bend within its body and ejecting the finished block and handle from the die cavity.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation illustrating one form of the automatic block manufacturing apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2 and illustrating certain details of the automatic wire insertion apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged elevational view, partially in section, taken along the line 66 of FIG. 2 and illustrating certain details of the wire insertion apparatus and compression apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 2 illustrating details of certain operating features of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a modification of a wire cutting and bending apparatus for use with the present invention; and

FIG. 10 illustrates certain operating features of the modified structure of FIG. 9.

As may best be seen by reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the present invention consists generally of a wire feed mechanism indicated generally at 11 and a block forming mechanism indicated generally at 12. The primary function of the wire feed mechanism 11 is to pull a measured amount of wire from a supply roll 13, bend or crimp the leading end of the wire, insert the leading end of the wire into the cavity of a slotted die, and then sever the wire from the supply roll.

The primary function of the block forming mechanism 12 is to load a measured amount of a chemical deodorant in crystalline form into the cavity of a slotted forming die, to receive the length of wire inserted by the wire feed mechanism 11 into the slot of the die, to compress the loose crystals about the wire to form a solid cohesive block, to convey the wire handle to different manufacturing stations were it is bent into a desired shape, and to eject the completed block onto a conveyor belt.

Examining the wire feed mechanism 11 illustrated in FIG. 1 in greater detail, it may be seen that the supply roll 13 supplies a wire 14 around a fixed, rotatable pulley 15. The wire 14 is threaded through a first horizontal wire straightener 16 and then to a second vertical wire straightener 17. The wire 14 then passes through a first stationary wire lock 18 and then through a second movable wire lock 19. Finally, the wire 14 is positioned over the face of a fixed die 20 and under a co-operating movable die tool 21.

Referring now to the block forming mechanism 12 in greater detail, it is seen that the mechanism 12 includes a rotatable table indicated generally at 22 rigidly fixed to a mounting post 23. The mounting post 23 is secured at its base to a drum 24 which is rotated by operation of the drive arm 25. When the drum 23 is rotated by the drive arm 25, the rotational motion is imparted to the mounting post 23 which in turn rotates the table 22.

The table 22 is provided with six cylindrical forming dies 26 with cavities which receive a measured amount of a chemical deodorant in crystalline form. This chemical is dispensed by a gravity feed hopper 27 positioned above the table 22. After a cavity is loaded, the table rotates and the loose chemical crystals in the cavity of the die 26 are compressed by a plunger 28 to form a deodorant block 30. As the completed block 30 is rotated with the table 22, it is automatically elevated from the cavity of the die 26 where it strikes an arm 29a projecting from a chute 29. Upon striking the arm 29a, the block 30 is scraped or knocked onto the chute 29 where it slides onto a conveyor belt 31.

A representative power supply mechanism is indicated generally at 32. The power mechanism 32 is merely intended to be illustrative, and many diflerent mechanisms having the desired direction and timing are well within the purview of those skilled in the art. In the illustrative mechanism 32, an electric motor 33 supplies rotational movement to a large power wheel 34. The wheel 34 is equipped with an eccentric projection 34a. As the wheel 34 rotates, the projection 34a engages a vertical segment of the drive arm 25. Clockwise rotation of the wheel 34 as seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings displaces the drive arm horizontally to the left through the guides 25g and 25h. As will be more fully described hereinafter, the linear movement of the drive arm 25 is converted into rotational movement in the drum 24, mounting post 23, and table 22.

As the projection 34a continues to rotate in a clockwise direction, it eventually disengages from the vertical segment 25a whereupon a restoring force, such as would be imparted by a spring 25b, draws the arm 25 to the right and into its original position. Further rotation of the wheel 34 brings the projection 34a into engagement with the horizontal segment 35a of a vertical drive arm 35. As the wheel 34 rotates, the arm 35 is vertically displaced through the guide 35g until the projection 34a disen-gages from the horizontal segment 35a. The initial position of the arm 35 is then restored by a spring 35b. The plunger 28 is secured to the arm 35 by a second horizontal segment 350. When the arm 35 is displaced vertically as described, the plunger 28 is driven into the cavity of the die 26 to compress the chemical crystals contained therein. The movable die tool 21 is secured to the plunger 28 by an arm 36 and is driven against the face of the fixed die 20 when the plunger 28 is activated. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the die tool 21 and die 20 co-operate to simultaneously sever and crimp the wire handle inserted into the cavity of the die 26.

A chain '37 is secured to the arm 36 and changes direction around a sprocket 38 where it is then secured to the movable wire lock 19. As the spring 35b restores the arm 35 vertically upwardly, the chain 37 pulls the movable wire lock 19 horizontally to the right in FIG. 1. When the arm 35 is being driven vertically downwardly by the wheel 34, a spring 39 secured to a chain 40 draws the wire lock 19 horizontally back to the left to its original position.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the cavity of the die 26 at the station indicated as 1A is first loaded with the loose crystals dispensed from the hopper 27. The table 22 is then rotated 60 to position the cavity of the die 26 at station 2A. While the table 22 is at station 2A, the wire feed mechanism 11 inserts a length of wire through the axial slot in the wall of the die 26 and the plunger 28 compresses the loose crystals into a block while the die tool 21 simultaneously severs and crimps the wire. The table 22 is then rotated another 60 to station 3A where the first fold is made in the wire handle 30a by machinery not illustrated. Stations 4A and 5A are used to complete the folding of the handle. At station 6A, the block 30 is pushed out of the cavity of the die 26 and dropped onto the chute 29. The table rotates another 60 and the cycle is repeated for that cavity. It should be noted that the foregoing operations occur for each forming die 26 at each station. Thus, for example, each time a die is at station 1A, it is loaded and each time a die moves into station 6A, a block 30 is unloaded.

The table 22 is rotated by the representative mechanism described briefly hereinbefore and illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 3 of the drawings. As the drive arm 25 moves to the left in FIG. 3, a spring loaded catch 25c engages a projection 24a on the drum 24 and rotates the drum 24 in a clockwise direction. The catch 250 is hinged by a pin 250.. When the arm 25 is drawn back to the right as seen in FIG. 3, the catch 25c is forced against a spring 25a as it slides over one of the projections 24a. Thus, the spring loaded catch 25c and projections 25a co-operate in a ratchet type action which causes the drum 24 to rotate in a clockwise direction when the arm 25 moves to the left but does not move the drum 24 when the arm 25 moves to the right.

The wire feed mechanism 11 is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings. The wire straighteners 1'6 and 17 are seen to comprise multiple rotatable circular guides 16a and 17a through which the wire 14 is drawn. The wire straighteners serve to remove any irregularities in the wire 14 as well as to correct the curvature in the wire 14 acquired from being wound on the supply roll 13.

The wire lock 18 is similar in construction and operation to the wire lock 19 with the exception that the wire lock '19 is movable while the wire lock 18 is fixed. The wire lock 19 includes .a beveled clamp 19a which is urged downwardly against the wire 14 by a spring 19b acting through a holder 190. The holder 190 is movably hinged by a pin 19d. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the angle of incidence of the clamp 19:: against the wire 14 wedges the wire .14 to prevent movement of the wire to the left with respect to the wire lock 19. However, this same structural arrangement may be seen to permit relative movement of the wire 14 to the right of the wire lock 19. The base '19e of the wire lock 19 encircles a mounting bar 41 along which the lock 19 may slide to the right or left in response to the pull of the chain 37 or the chain 40, respectively. The angle of incidence of the clamp 19a with the wire .14 may \be altered by loosening the set screw 19 and changing the position of the clamp 19a in the holder 190. This arrangement also permits the clamp 19a to be completely removed from the holder 190 for replacement or repair.

As the wire lock 19 moves to the left in FIG. 4, the wire lock 18 counters any tendency of the wire 14 to move to the left with the movement of the clamp 19a. A measured amount of the wire .14 is thus pulled to the right by the wire feed mechanism 11 each time the drive arm 35 cycles.

As is best illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the wire feed mechanism 11 co-operates with the block forming mechanism 12 by inserting the handle 30a into the cavity of the die 26 through a slot 26a in the cylindrical wall of the die. As the leading end of the handle 30a is inserted into the die 26, the chemical crystals contained in the cavity of the die are in the loose form illustrated in FIG. 7 of the drawings. While in this loose form, the chemical crystals are easily displaced by the handle 30a as it enters the cavity of the die 26. The consistency and dimensions of the chemical deodorant in the cavity of the die 26 are such that the chemical cannot escape from the die 26 through the slot 26a. Referring again to FIG. 6 of the drawings, as the plunger 28 compresses the crystals into a block, the die tool 21 simultaneously severs the handle 30:: from the wire 14 and imparts a crimp in the leading end of the supply roll end of the wire 14.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 18, the chemicals are loaded into the die cavity 26 by a gravity feed hopper 27. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the hopper 27 is adjacent the top of the die cavity 26. The top of the table 22 is equipped with a surface 22a. The surface 22a is provided with circular openings at the top of the cavities of the dies 26. As the table 22 rotates, the surface 22a rides under the opening of the hopper 27 to prevent any discharge of the chemicals. When the top of an empty die cavity registers with the opening in the hopper 27, the chemicals may flow from the hopper 27 into the cavity of the die 26 until the cavity is loaded. The surface 22a is' also seen to be provided with a slot communicating with the slot 26a to permit movement of the handle 30a through the surface 22a when the block 30 is ejected.

Referring again to FIG. 6 of the drawings, it is seen that the bottom of the die cavity is formed by a movable piston 26b. The piston 26!; is secured to a piston rod 260. As the block 30 moves into station 6A as llustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8 of the drawings, the piston rod engages an inclined surface 50. The rod 26c rides up the surface 50 causing the block 30 to be pushed up from the cavity of the die 26. The inclined surface 50 is joined by a level surface 50a. As the rod 260 slides along the surface 50a, the block 30 is maintained above the surface 22a. As hereinbefore described, the elevated block 30 engages an arm 2912 which knocks the block onto a chute 29. Rotation of the table 22 from the unloading station 6A to the loading station 1A, permits the rod 26c to drop off of the surface 50a to reseat the piston 26b at the bottom of the die cavity 26.

FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings illustrate a second embodiment of portions of the invention. In the modification of FIGS. 9 and 10, the wire 14 is threaded through a first movable member through an axial opening having a diameter only slightly larger than the diameter of the wire 14. A second stationary member 121 immediately adjacent the member 120 holds the wire 14 so that relative motion of the members 120 and 121 as indicated by the arrow severs the wire 14. The leading end of the wire 14 is bent by the 90 rotation of a semi-cyclindrical tool 122. The wire 14 is held stationary during the motion of the tool 122 by two fixed receiving members 123 and 124. The members 123 and 124 are provided with beveled edges 123a and 124a for assisting in leading the wire 14 through the opening in the member 123 as the wire 14 is fed by the wire feed mechanism 11 hereinbefore described. There is no interconnecting structure between the two stationary members 123 and 124 so that the handle a may freely move away from the members 123 and 124 when the table 22 is rotated. The necessary means for effecting the indicated movements are well known, and a description thereof is not necessary for the purposes of this application.

Also illustrated in the modification of FIGS. 9 and 10 is a second type loading means which may be employed in the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 9, a hopper 127 is positioned directly over the cavity of the die 126. The hopper 127 loads the cavity of the die 126 by dropping a measured amount of the chemical into the cavity rather than by filling the cavity to its full capacity. The specific details of various means for dropping a predetermined amount of chemical into the cavity 126 are well within the purview of those skilled in the art and have not been detailed. When the chemical has been deposited in the cavity of the die 126, the hopper 127 is swung away to permit the plunger 128 to compress the crystals. Thus, in the modification of FIGS. 9 and 10, the wire inserting loading and compressing are all carried out at the same station.

Although the foregoing description relates specifically to the automatic production of cylindrical deodorant blocks and handles therefor, it will be appreciated that many modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, the apparatus of the present invention may be adapted to manufacture many differently shaped products of various chemical compositions. By way of example rather than limitation, the chemical may be in powder or granular form rather than the crystal form described; the handle may be of plastic or other material having the desired tensile stength, resiliency, and ductility; the cavities of the dies which are loaded with the chemical may assume any desired configuration or the operating stations may be increased to any desired number of appropriate modifications of the described sequence and steps of manufacture.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for automatically manufacturing a chemical block with an integrally formed wire handle comprising:

(a) loading means for loading the cavity of a slotted forming die with chemicals;

(b) distorting means for distorting the leading end of a length of wire;

(c) inserting means for inserting the distorted leading end of said length of wire through the slot and into the cavity of said forming die;

((1) severing means for severing said length of wire at a fixed distance from said forming die;

(e) compressing means for compressing the chemicals in the cavity of said forming die about the distorted leading end of the wire to form a solid block and integrally formed wire handle; and

(f) ejecting means for ejecting the block and wire handle from the cavity of said forming die.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including plural, spaced forming dies carried by a table with the tops of the cavities of said plural forming dies opening through and being flush with an upper surface of said table.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

(a) said loading means comprises a gravity feed hopper disposed above said table, said hopper having an outlet opening with said outlet opening being formed in a surface above said cavities and being parallel to and in close proximity with said upper surface of said table whereby the contents of said hopper may enter said cavities when said cavities register with said outlet opening in said hopper but whereby said outlet opening is at all other times closed ofi by said upper surface of said table to prevent the contents of said hopper from escaping;

(b) said distorting means and said severing means comprise a fixed die face and a co-operating movable die tool disposed between said inserting means and said forming die with said length of wire extending between said fixed die face and said movable die tool;

() said inserting means comprises a fixed wire lock and a movable wire lock; and

(d) said ejecting means comprises a movable piston seated in the bottom of said cavity with a rod secured to said piston and depending from the lower end of said die and means for raising said piston to the top of said cavity.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

(a) said severing means comprises a fixed member adjacent a movable member, said fixed member including means for holding said wire stationary and said movable member having an axial bore through which the wire passes whereby when said movable member is displaced relative to said fixed member, the wire is severed; and

(b) said distorting means comprises a fixed receiving member and a movable bending member whereby said fixed receiving member holds said Wire stationary while said movable bending member bends said wire.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 including means for rotating said table to difierent manufacturing stations.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said fixed wire lock and said movable wire lock include spring loaded means for preventing any movement of the wire away from the direction of the forming die and wherein said movable wire lock reciprocates along the wire and draws a fixed length of the wire from a supply roll toward the forming die.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said compressing means comprises a reciprocating plunger disposed above said forming dies and having an external configuration with dimensions similar to the configuration and dimensions of the cavity of said forming dies.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD H. EANES, 1a., Primary Examiner. 

